The Allegory Of Triberias: The Call Of Destiny .

The Apprentice

"Where was I?" the elder finally accorded her reprieve and Havillah looked up at him with a look of relieved surprise.
Stupid! She scolded herself the moment she noticed the smirk that was playing on his lips. As if he would let her of that easily? She shivered under his small smile that was anything but reassuring.
"Humans are weak, brash and rebellious-" she gulped in, attempting to swallow down her fear as she dragged out the words, grateful that she had at least paid attention to that part.
"Ah, yes." he perked up as she went silent.
To the untrained eye it would seem that the good elder was rather happy that his mentee had finally gotten his lessons right, but that was not the case here. Havillah knew what this smile meant and sadly for her, it meant that he was cooking up something diabolical that only a sadistic mind could come up with it.
"Since you seem to be so quick to forget that which you are," the Appriser paused to watch her as she squirmed beneath his gaze before continuing, "I will help you remember!"
And finally, there it was. Her death sentence! Before she could help herself, Havillah had let out a whimper and the elder's smile grew darker. Pleased with himself at the reaction that he had knowingly elicited from her.
Havillah had always fought to remain strong but everyone had their limits. In her case, she was exhausted both physically and emotionally and was suffering mental stress. What more, the anxiety of not what this old man had in store for her was making her feel jittery and that was not working for her as well.
Slowly and still watching her for further signs of the terror that he had so masterfully created, the elder lifted his hands to reveal his skeletal fingers that had until then been concealed beneath the wide length of his purple kimono sleeves. He flicked his bony hands in a flamboyant show of power and the air between them rippled like a liquid membrane that popped out a Sanctuary scroll that had just been summoned.
His technique was so flawless that terrified or not, Havillah could not help but marvel at the Modus. Even at his level not many could perform it so flawlessly or so she had heard and read about in the scrolls. And to witness it. To be able to behold it first hand- Havillah shuddered at the elder's conniving. Somehow, he had managed to change himself from being her tormentor into being the sole recipient of her pure unbridled awe and the thought that was utterly terrifying.
"Summoning. The Modus of calling stored things on location. You can use your words or a preformed hand gesture as a conduit for the flow of Virtue and of course, a preformed connection with the item is also required for the weaker summoners." The elder so graciously supplied. "However, it requires a certain amount of... certitude. Certitude and experience that you are certainly lacking and are yet to master despite your advanced age."
Her advanced age? Havillah bristled. How many twelve year olds let alone adults in higher cohorts could perform such a fear? She gaped at the elder.
"...Therefore, I must say, you simply cannot do it!" He landed the crashing blow, hitting below the belt like he normally did, before finishing off with a bout of ugly laughter that was aimed at the downtrodden expression appearing on her face.
"You know what to do?" he continued, his lips still smirking as he brought the sti levitating Sanctuary scroll a little bit closer to her. What did he expect her to say? She was not a mind reader, so there was no way that she could have any idea as to what he had in store for her. Still, she nodded anyway. There was the possibility that this time she would end up lucky, but the chances of that happening... well, either way, she could still hold on to hope as bleak as all things around her now appeared.
"Of course you do not know." he muttered rather darkly, the sudden change in his emotions being so fast and too erratic that even she could not process it. "You are as incompetent as they get!" What had she done now? He sneered, probably hoping to get another rise out of her but his time, Havillah had vowed, she would not allow him the satisfaction of seeing her frazzled.
"This is a Neolithic scroll." he decided to go on and explain it anyway. "And you..." he trailed off as a Sanctuary assistant burst into his chambers heaving out all his names and titles.
"sir... Elder Lionel... My Lord!"
"Rufus! What is the meaning of this? Can't you see that I am in the middle of something?" He glare at his offending assistant and the girl breathed out a sigh. Relieved, if only for a moment, to have his attention diverted from her and to something else.
"Many apologies my lord, but..." The sanctuary assistant looked at the apprentice warily but the Elder urged him on, forcing him to continue." The North Eastern floor!" the portly assistant who was a balding man albeit without a greying head heaved out.
"Say no more." The Appriser cautioned before turning away from the shorter man with an extended gut and a porcine nature that had him sweating quite profusely on both his hands and on his face. On the armpits of his blue and golden garbs there were sweat mark as well and every once in a while, he would pant, heaving out forced breaths as he wiped away at his forehead all to her amusement though she would never dare to show it in front of her mentor. Who knew what kind of retaliation he would come up with seeing that his mind was never short on ways in which to torment her.
"Is the council then meeting?"
"Affirmative my lord." the assistant bowed as he nodded.
"Fine then, I'll be right there." He added with a flourish before turning back to address her. "You will read that scroll and make short notes. You are also not to leave this room until I order you to do so. Am I clear?"
Havillah mentally rolled her eyes at this even as she wondered how much different this was from what she normally did every other day. So much for not knowing. She mused rather sourly.
"Yes master." she responded anyway as she eyed the huge scroll that was now in her hands with a fake disheartened look that she knew would very well please him.
"The paper and the ink are in the usual place." he had added as he pointed at the huge desk in the corner made up of ivory and decorated with golden leaves and vines all over. "You will also find the extra quilts there and Havillah..." he hesitated for a moment.
"Yes master." she turned back to face him and found that his dark eyes were now regarding her with a look that was so cold that it sent wisps of chilly fingers down her already weary spine.
"No Virtue." He scowled and she swallowed. What had she ever done to this man? That is, except for asking too many questions and thinking quite objectively at that. Oh, and failing miserably at the first virtue? Well, it couldn't be helped. She thought as she looked back at her mentor and nodded.
"Yes master." she forced herself to bow and say.
With that, he appeared somewhat satisfied, but one could not tell with him. Therefore she remained bowing just in case and was rewarded with a flick his hand and his disappearance in a swish of gold and purple satin leaving her behind to revel in her punishment.